I recently attended the public hearing pertaining to bylaw 2522-2016 regarding land use contract #13. This is to remove one property from the land use contract (LUC).
This was my first time attending a public hearing, some how I am left with the impression that this was merely pro forma and that the Mayor and council have already made the decision. Many good points were made though many of them were based on emotion and the fear of change.
However a point that was brought up was that council can and should engage the affected people who have bought in this area and see what they would like to see happen as opposed to delegating what city hall feels is in the best interest of their purse strings.
I feel strongly as do many of my neighbours that a few meetings with the residents could quite possibly produce an acceptable solution. Considering that the LUC does not have to be restructured until 2024 there seems to be a good amount of time for this to take place.
We are not opposed to conventional housing or to the occasional legal suite, but we feel that we do not want oversized houses being constructed in our backyards. One needs to look no further than Cougar Court around the corner to see what a mess overdevelopment can bring.
Robin Wintemute
Abbotsford